The North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) awarded a $7.6-million contract to Blythe Construction Inc. of Charlotte for a project, which will improve safety at the North Carolina Railroad crossing on Klumac Road in Salisbury.

Work can begin as early as Jan. 28, with final completion set for Oct. 28, 2016.

The project has two key parts: Building a bridge for train traffic over Klumac Road and an underpass for motor vehicle traffic on Klumac Road at the railroad crossing and

realigning 0.6 miles of Klumac Road from N.C. 150 (Main Street) to just south of Martin Luther King Jr. Drive. Crews will shift the road over roughly a block to accommodate the bridge/underpass construction.

NCDOT data show about 4,300 vehicles drive over the Klumac Road railroad crossing each day and about 40 trains pass the crossing daily. By separating the vehicles from the trains, the project will reduce the potential for accidents, while helping traffic flow more efficiently through the area.

This project is part of the Piedmont Improvement Program (PIP), a series of rail projects that will improve safety and mobility on the corridor between Raleigh and Charlotte. PIP projects are primarily funded by the federal American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 and will be completed by Sept. 30, 2017.

Additionally, weather permitting, NCDOT will temporarily close two railroad crossings on Arendell Street in Morehead City beginning Tue., Jan 22, to allow Norfolk Southern to install new crossing panels.

The railroad crossing on Arendell Street at 23rd Street will be closed until Jan. 24 and the crossing on Arendell Street at 8th Street will be closed until Jan. 25.